Friday, April 27, 2018

JordanCon 10 Recap Post

It’s that time of year again, the one where I force my sleep-deprived, whisky-soaked brain through the equivalent of mental olympics and parse together a post to recap the best little literary convention that ever was.

JordanCon. Home.

“Welcome home,” said the video from the Opening Ceremonies, with succinct perfection. In less than seven minutes that video commemorated the ten years the convention has run, and the author whose series brought us all together: Robert Jordan, AKA Jim Rigney Jr, and his brain child the Wheel of Time. Let me tell you, I’m rather pleased I was waiting my Opening Ceremonies cue and didn’t watch until the video was posted on the JordanCon YouTube channel because holy crappit, pass the tissues. Whew!

For the unfamiliar: JordanCon is a sleepless bender literary convention that is held in Atlanta every April. I’ve attended all but the first two years, and it gets bigger and better every turning of the Wheel.

This year’s Author Guest of Honour was none other than my bestie, Jason Denzel, who was also celebrating the 20th anniversary of Dragonmount, a nerdy little website he created back in the day.

The Artist Guest of Honour was the impeccably talented Stephanie Law, and I am oh so delighted to have an original of her work gracing my collection.


Clockwise from top left: Moiraine wins Best In Show; author guest Brandon Sanderson with Artist Guest of Honour Stephanie Law; dedicated Art Show volunteers working tirelessly; Author Guest of Honour Jason Denzel and myself.


Naturally, it’s difficult to pick my favourite moments from that whirlwind weekend, and half are going to sound like inside jokes (apologies!):

Opening Ceremonies I: Everything I could see from the back of the room was both hilarious and heartwarming. One of my favourite moments was when Con Chair, Jennifer Liang, and Co-Chair, Jimmy Liang, were honoured for creating JordanCon, including being presented with epic replica objects of power, the Choden Kal, thanks to the machinations of Asha’man Phillip Edwards. (Thank you again for organizing that, Phillip!)

Opening Ceremonies II: I played Min to Paul Bielaczyc’s Rand, wearing my drunky pants. Our job was to announce details about the hotdog Art Show and Dealer Hall. I blabbed it to pretty much everyone, but I chugged about half a 26er* of whisky to steady my nerves before the Opening Ceremonies, even though I didn’t have a speaking bit. This is not an exaggeration. Anxiety is a bitch, and yes, I am an introvert. FYI: if I smell like maple at JordanCon, it’s the whisky, not the Canadian genes, haha!

Clockwise from top left: Playing Min Farshaw to Paul Bielaczyc's Rand al'Thor; stealing Jason Denzel's friends at Speed Friending; doing shots during the costume contest with Seth Lockhart; Jeff Bernard and Melissa Word representing the JordanCon Charity Auction.



Speed Friending: Always a favourite of mine, Speed Friending is plugged as a place for first timers to meet people quickly (duh). It’s loud, but I love it, and try to attend every year to help bridge that gap between JordanCon veterans and new attendees--and usually in costume, because it’s a visual ice breaker. This year I brought Clementine, my baby Trolloc, and pretty much made everyone I interacted with hold her for a photo from that point onward, possibly to their dismay. Perfection. Creepy, creepy perfection.


JordanCon attendees with Clementine the Trolloc baby. Pictured here: April Butler and Vanessa Dial; Cooper Blackwood; Seth Ralston; Phillip Schultz; Ebony Adomanis; and JordanCon Co-Chair Jimmy Liang.
Friday dinner: usually I partake of the Tor.com Rereader dinner (I missed you guys!), but due to new food restrictions for the ease of everyone involved I opted to head to dinner with my similarly-food-restricted friend Kelcey Casson. After the whisky before Opening Ceremonies, and the three drinks I chugged at Speed Friending I was feeling pretty good (Serenla makes a mean Old Fashioned, guys, and I barely slowed down to taste it--still worth it! And our resident Jello-shooter gourmand Perry Minchew tossed me two Jello shots--literally, they landed on my cleavage and Clementine’s head, haha!). Of course, cue Kelcey saying we’re being joined by our Artist Guest of Honour, Stephanie Law, and allllll that alcohol finally hitting me. She was incredibly gracious and didn’t seem to mind my giddy company. I tried not to be obnoxious. (Not very hard, but I tried. haha)

Costume Contest: OMG, you guys, the costumes. We really went all out this year, folks. Kudos to all who entered the contest, and you all amaze me with your creativity every year! Ava Cash and her Asmodean, complete with instrumental performance! Rosemary Williams had hidden weapons and a quick-release skirt to her dress! Sophie Coleman of Ta’veren Tees had FUNCTIONING WINGS on her Draghkar! WINGS! WINGS THAT MOVE! Gah. I can’t possibly describe them all, in part because I was in a jittery haze myself, but that’s what pics are for!

Clockwise from top left: Joe O'Hara (of TWoTcast) as Mat with a pair of badgers; Ava Cash as Asmodean; Rachel Little and Brandyn Butler; Richard Blaylock, Elizabeth Rawitsch, and Linda Taglieri cosplaying as Team Jordan's Alan and Amy Romanczuk and Maria Livington Simons.








Clockwise from top left: Rosemary Williams and hidden weaponry; Serafina Virciglio and Christina Catherine as Seanchan High Blood; Molly Weiss as Rey and BB8; Sophie Coleman as a Draghkar.


Best In Show: Since this was JordanCon’s 10th anniversary, I really wanted to go big, and I knew the structure of the contest had changed. Instead of all contestants competing against each other, we were tiered into groups based on previous awards. If you have never won a costuming award you are a Novice; if you had won once you are a Journeyman; if you had two or more awards under your belt you are considered a Master (cue my insufferable adorable bragging to Mr Lannis that he’s married to a Master Costumer, and his chuckled reply that I could brag when that pays bills. haha). The tiers allow more awards to be granted, and it’s less intimidating for Novices to compete against those of us who have been doing so for years--basically more fun for everyone all around. Kudos to JordanCon Director, Susan Martin, who runs the contest, because they worked terribly hard to structure it in a way to maximize all participants’ enjoyment. As a costumer with a competitive streak, I knew I needed something flashy if I wanted to snag the inaugural Best In Show award. I’m planning on piecing together a post about the build process for those who have expressed interest. The Reader’s Digest version: it’s a live depiction of Ariel Burgess’ Moiraine, which denotes Moiraine’s character arc through the series including accoutrements symbolizing important moments along the way. I’ve always wanted to do a Moiraine costume, and Ariel’s artwork was exactly what I needed for it to stand out. Thank you, Ariel, for graciously granting me permission, it was all worth it!


Left: Ariel Burgess' Moiraine; Right: the costume version of art.


Tiaras: Wearing my tiara proudly--a newer JordanCon tradition that is sure to continue, because WE SHOULD ALL BE WEARING TIARAS ALL THE TIME.

WoT-Geekery: Making my two Warders kiss my cheeks before departing my presence--they’re neither of them blademasters, and they’re hella disobedient, but I think this means I’ve managed to get them started on the track of listening. Maybe. Haha! In truth, they’ve definitely pulled my ass out of the fire a time or two** and have earned their bestie titles proudly (and Mr Lannis is thankful, because it means he’s no longer inundated with exhaustive verbal diarrhea when he gets home, haha).

Introvert Dinner: An impromptu date, my friend (and JordanCon 10 Toastmaster!) Aubree Pham and I decided to grab dinner together at the hotel restaurant on Saturday night after the costume contest. It was a lovely break for the two of us introverts, a moment to breathe and decompress--and eat vegetables!--and amid the rush and bustle of JCon, it takes moments like these to ensure you get a chance to see some of your busiest friends. Introvert dinners for all!

The Nine Horse Hitch: Once again I assisted Chip Moore running the Nine Horse Hitch room party. We really are one of the best kept secrets of JordanCon, even if I do say so myself, and tell everyone I know, ha! The Dancing Tinker shooters were a hit, as were the Girl Scout Cookie and bourbon pairings. Nothing makes Chip and I happier than having the Nine Horse chock full of rowdy revelry, and I think we succeeded again this year.

Shenanigans at the Nine Horse Hitch! Top left: with Chip Moore; bottom right: with April Moore, the other half of my Hive Mind.

JordanCon's Art Show: I know I’m biased, but it gets better and better! So much of that is due to our dedicated group of volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes all. goddamn. year. folks! And our artists, who have helped us cultivate that inclusive, fun-loving vibe and helped us brainstorm and present some of the best Art Track programming that could ever exist. There are too many participating artists to name them all, but I am coveting all of my art treasures from this year.

Dealer Hall moments: Meeting new dealers, and artists who have submitted to the Art Show and also bought a table to be even more involved in JordanCon than they were previously, and hearing positive feedback from them about all our work. One of my favourite moments, though, was watching my two Magic: The Gathering playing friends nerd out with Charles Urbach, the artist who illustrated several cards, and Charles equally nerding out in return. Approachability is a big part of what makes JordanCon grand, and it makes my heart happy to see people enjoying new connections.

Elevator Selfie Parties: Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like, and one of my favourite things to do at JordanCon, even though I'm fairly certain it scares the crap out of people. Bonus: the elevator at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia was ridiculously fast, so I'd walk in, the doors would close, I'd demand a group elevator selfie, and then waltz out when the doors opened. I'm scary friendly like that, and the results are almost always hysterical--even when it's a solo party.

Crowd in! Elevator Selfie Parties are the best!










Awkward formal pics: Friday we had Star Wars theme decor in the Nine Horse Hitch, and of course it was still on the walls come Saturday (because ain't nobody got time for redecorating at Jcon). For a portion of Saturday I was working the Nine Horse's door and camped nearby, thus the droid-backdrop awkward formal pics became a thing. I love all you weirdos for playing along!

Awkward formal pics.




Dance Party: The convention theme revolved around the Seanchan Return, so a Homecoming theme was apt. So this year, Saturday night’s (in)famous dance party involved tiaras and ball gowns, tuxedos, tuxedo shirts and mostly-naked horse headed persons dancing (wait, that wasn’t at your Homecoming formal? Crap. We must have gotten our lines crossed somewhere…)



There’s more, there’s always, always more.

The thing about a recap post is that no one attendee can summarize the convention. We can only summarize our own experiences, so apologies if I’ve missed something you feel is integral, or if you were there and we never managed to say hello--I do try to say hi to everyone, but at a record-breaking 852 attendees in 2018, it makes it a little tricky.

Recently, in the JordanCon Facebook group, the challenge was posed to imagine your life without JordanCon. After eight years of shenanigans with my tribe, I’m not being a sap (shut up, Ross), when I say that concept momentarily rocked me, panic flashing lightning-like through my core. My best and closest friends are in the ranks of JordanCon attendees. This group, this family, has affected me with such magnitude that I cannot put the value into words. I am who I am because of this group of nerds. I have leaned on them, and been leaned on in turn. I have connected, and cried, and laughed, and loved, and celebrated with these people.

In many ways my heart is whole because of them.

Without JordanCon, I would be lost.

This convention has an infectious sense of community, one I do my best to perpetuate. I laugh about connecting to the first timers, that I have a list for my newbie hunt, but the truth is I want everyone to be welcomed by the same positivity and sense of family as I was years ago.

Because JordanCon is home. For all of us.

Welcome home.








*That's Canadian for a 750ml bottle of booze.

**No joke, my Warders are hella useful. Case in point, this post: Ross Newberry saved my butt after I inadvertently discovered a Blogger formatting bug. Thank you, Ross! Now give me a kiss! [taps cheek] ;)



Friday, April 28, 2017

JordanCon 9 Recap Post

Here we go again, bear with me, and apologies for the photo-heavy post. I’m fighting post-con brain fog and swells of Post-Con Depression to bring you the highlights of my annual trip to Atlanta for JordanCon, the best little literary convention nerdfest around. It is family, and that family grows every year.


For the uninitiated, JordanCon is an annual literary convention dedicated to Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, but has since spread to encompass all things Sci-Fi and Fantasy. It takes place around the third weekend in April in Atlanta, Georgia. This year’s toastmistress was Amanda Keene of TarValon.net, the Author Guest of Honour was Charles Gannon, and the Artist Guest of Honour was Stephen Hickman.

In no particular order, some highlights from my convention this year:

  • Wednesday - Rolling in Wednesday meant I had a chance to have a laid back dinner with other staff members who’d also arrived early. We’re staff, but we’re also chosen family, and many of us are geographically challenged and rarely in the same room during the remainder of the calendar year. Once JordanCon’s setup begins, we’re off running--at least until the Dead Dog party Sunday night--so Wednesday provided a moment to preemptively catch our breaths, shoot the shit, and enjoy each other’s company before the insanity truly began.
  • The Nine Horse Hitch - April and Chip Moore have bestowed a name on their party room, its namesake being that of the most infamously ambiguous inn in the books. One of my favourite things about JordanCon these past few years has been the honour of working as Chip’s runner in that makeshift bar, and dubbing it the Nine Horse sets my wee geeky heart aflutter. There’s a hospitality muscle Chip and I enjoy flexing together, and I think I’ve finally figured out why we make such a great team. It’s been a long running joke that Chip’s wife, April, and I share a hive mind--and I think the reason he and I work so well together is because I think so similarly to April. We just click. Thank you for letting me be your runner and shooter girl, Chipper--cheers!
Top: The Nine Horse Hitch is rocking!
Bottom: Chip Moore and Lannis

  • The Hive Mind (speaking of April, the Art Show Director to whom I am assistant) - I miss my girl so much, and every year we get more in sync. This year involved us (simultaneously and undiscussed) ordering identical meals, as well as a moment where I was handed April’s locked cash box and asked the (unknown by me) combination, whereupon I spun the dial randomly and hit the release to have it pop open, creepily, with a handful of Art Show volunteers as audience. You guys: the Hive Mind is real!
  • Photos - Over 1000 over five days, and not enough (there’s never enough). The chance to parse together what the hell I did during a five day sleepless bender is helpful, though, thank the Light for technology that fits in your pocket. I uploaded over 400 to my private Facebook account, and half of that to the JordanCon public Facebook page. 

Top: Chip Moore and Alan Romanczuk
Bottom: Paula Sutcliffe, Glen Vogelaar, and Lannis in tiaras.
  • Tiara Time! - Tiaras, everywhere. Yes. It was first of what sounds like a will-be-annual event, and held on Friday night coinciding with my handing out Hawaiian leis (because reasons--namely low impulse control, an Amazon browsing spree and because everyone should get laid at a tWoTcast panel. Duh.) Every pic I see with a tiara and a lei makes me happy. 

  •  TWoTcast's barmaster’s competition - Resident JordanCon bartender Chip Moore competed against Team Jordan’s Alan Romanczuk in three rounds of cocktails and a sudden-death shot challenge, judged by Aubree Pham, Lauren O’Hara, and Jason Denzel. Alan won, though the winners were definitely the audience, what with the epic tale spun around Alan’s drink “Aviendha’s First Night” and silliness ensuing (Mimes! tWoTcash cannon! Shenanigans!).
tWoTcast's Barmaster Competition
  • Ta’veren Ties/Pink Ribbons - I dressed as the Ebou Dari Widow to sell pink ribbons to con-goers, who then awarded those ribbons to their favourite Mat cosplayers. Queen Tylin was there, too, and all the proceeds went to charity. All those Mats, all those pink ribbons. *giddy sigh*

Queen Tylin and her Mats. Photo by Tina Pierce
  • Unplanned writing win - Spontaneously pitching my novel to Author Guest of Honour Charles Gannon in casual conversation, completely unprompted--I actually remembered the pitch I’d written and managed to deliver it smoothly. And when I humbly said I suppose I should start querying and begin my rejection collection, he very kindly honoured me by replying, “Or it’s accepted.” *fans self*
  • Writerly support - Also on the topic of writing, I received a genuinely touching pep talk from a longtime JordanCon and Tor.com Rereader friend, Richard Fife (JordanCon's Writer's Track Director), who assures me that, “there will not be pitchforks” if I manage to publish this novel. I’ll hold you to that, Richard--I’ll send any pitchforks your way.
  • Werepup Babysitting - Missy Lindsay needed a hand wrangling werepups Roger and Violet, so I graciously offered my services while selling pink ribbons. The pics and odd reactions make it more than worth the baby snuggles. And whomever reported me as a shitty babysitter for putting that kid in a headlock should remember that it’s a werepup and they’re different than human babies--besides, Clementine the baby Trolloc is totally cool with headlocks, why wouldn’t her cousins be? 

Jason Denzel of Dragonmount, and Roger, the werepup.
  • Costume Contest - Every year the costume contest gets more and more impressive , and JordanCon 9 was no exception (Serafina Virciglio’s Kitiara! Blew. My. Mind!). This was my first time entering the costume contest as a member of a group, and we placed first--go team! (spoilers) Darkest Timeline Rand and Wives--a “what if Rand had been converted to the Shadow?” concept, where Rand (Paul Bielaczyc), Elayne (April Butler), and Aviendha (Cassi Costoulas) are all Shadow-sworn, and Min (myself) their prisoner/slave (because she isn’t a power-wielder and therefore not an equal). Damn, we rocked it. (PS: I told you if we did it we’d better gun for first, Paul. haha) 

Darkest Timeline Rand and Wives placed first in the JordanCon 9 costume contest.
Mr Lannis thinks that Rand al'Thor is a lucky man, regardless of timeline.

Clockwise: Serafina Virciglio as Kitiara uth Matar; Molly Weiss as Sevanna; Zackary Stevens as Mat; Megan Fordham as Birgitte.
 
Non-WoT costumes ahoy! Sanderson, Martin, Dresden, Star Wars -- it's not just a Wheel of Time convention!

What? Is this creepy?
  • Hunting first timers - Sure, the convention game this year was hunting Darkfriends, but who needs that when you can creepily keep a list of people who’ve said on Facebook that they’re attending their first JordanCon, and then scaring the bejesus out of them, scarring them for life, freaking them out ahem, honouring them by whipping out your cell and showing them that you’ve got them on a checklist and are trying to connect with as many newbies as you can? That’s not stalkery at ALL. For the record, folks, I lost my own game. I had 28 names on my list, and found 9. NINE. I lost the game and I was the only one playing! WHAT THE NUGGET?
  • Bird Dog Maple Whisky - For the last year I’ve been telling JordanCon vice-chair Jimmy Liang he needs to take the con chair, Jenn Liang, and me out to IKEA. He apologized for this deficit with a twenty-sixer of Bird Dog Maple Whisky, which aside from a few sips given away at the Dead Dog on Sunday night, I pretty much put away all by my lonesome, mostly at the Dead Dog itself. She is smooth, and my new favourite, straight or on the rocks, even if it’s in a paper cup. Bonus: when you spill it on your hoodie you can still wear that hoodie to the airport the next day because you smell more breakfast than boozy. You're welcome.
  • Our Art Show--it’s grown, you guys. It’s chock full of fantastic art, and we keep running out of space, and despite having fewer attendees we’ve sold more art than ever before--and blown past convention industry benchmarks, to boot. The artists, the volunteers, and the hard work everyone puts in over the weekend and year round is what makes this event so successful, and it shows. A couple of years ago Mr Lannis said I wasn’t allowed to purchase any more wall art, but thankfully this year he neglected to say anything so ridiculous (I refuse to admit that rule carries over. haha). I’ve been coveting Charles Urbach’s gorgeous piece Unbound, and I acquired a print, along with prints by artists Melissa Gay, Amanda Makepeace, and a whole book on Artist Guest of Honour Stephen Hickman. Very art, much drool. [Insert Mr Lannis’ eyeroll here.]


To be fair, Mr Lannis likes stars, birds, and boobies.



  • No sleep - But I’ve learned not to sweat it and allow myself to lay down and rest without stressing about laying awake at night. Gone is the panicked tossing and turning, and I let my mind wander guilt-free and it reciprocates with a decent facsimile of coherent thought. Yes, I use sleep aids. Yes, even with whisky (Dr M told me it was okay!). Yes, I am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 6:30am despite both. I have given up, and thoroughly rely on the holy magic of under-eye concealer.
  • New volunteers - Jessica, this is all you, sweetie! I was so excited that you came to help us in the Art Show, and my heart swelled when I saw you pair off to check-in Melissa Gay, one of our attending artists and personified sunshine. I do so hope your first JordanCon was a memorable one, and that you’ll come play with us again! 

Ms Frizzle! Moiraine and Thom! Harley Quinn!
  • Pinky Shear - As luck would have it, I ran into my costumer-mentor Pinky Shear! She needed a place to change for the pyjama-themed dance party and I got a chance to pick her brain regarding next year’s costume--win win! (yes, it’s already happening!)
  • Tai Chi with a Czuk - One morning while snagging breakfast in the (ridiculously fantastic!) Consuite I lagged on the balcony with artist (and huggable, pocket-sized friend) Amy Romanczuk to watch her partner Alan Romanczuk practicing Tai Chi in the courtyard below. Random Tai Chi practice, folks. With a member of Team Jordan. Only at JordanCon!

Anthony Acker of the Black Tower and Alan Romaczuk practicing Tai Chi.

  • The Signed Bookplates - Every year JordanCon has a charity auction, and this year we had a special treat: five bookplates signed by Robert Jordan entered as single lots each. I ended up bidding on a couple in the live auction (so cool!), but losing out. I thought it was fitting since Mr Lannis once said “no more wall art,” and that same year I spent my allowance on Clementine the Trolloc baby, then the next I acquired a Melissa Gay original (SPACESHIPS!), so it tickled me to think of his expression when I told him I spent $300 on a sticker. Sadly, I was outbid. But seeing the look on Mr Lannis’ face when I told him of this plan was close second, haha.

Maple Whisky, a coveted signed bookplate, and friends (Lannis with Jimmy Liang and April Moore). What more can I ask for?

And that’s it for the “fit for public consumption” highlights, eh? Next year is rapidly shaping up to be our best yet: the talented Stephanie Law is our Artist Guest of Honour, and our Author Guest of Honour is none other than my bestie Jason Denzel! (Did you know Pomella was based on me? haha) It'll be JordanCon 10, as well as the 20th anniversary of Dragonmount and Theoryland, not to mention that the recent news that Sony has picked up the rights to the Wheel of Time TV series means more people will notice our shindig! Our convention continues growing, and there’s nothing like the vibe we share. If you’ve ever considered--even peripherally--attending JordanCon, I can not stress enough that you will not regret it. Every year I am giddy as I watch first timers become enraptured by the outpouring of love and organized chaos, and I’m delighted when they vow to return.


The lifeblood and energy of this convention is its people, and trust me when I say it’s worth every heartbeat.

Until next year, JordanCon family. <3

Monday, May 2, 2016

JordanCon8 Recap Post

My apologies. I’ve been staring at a blank page for far too long. Post Con Depression has its foothold, and it’s the reason I’ve been so quiet (sorry! heh).

2016 marked the sixth consecutive year I’ve traveled from Toronto to Atlanta for JordanCon, the little literary convention with the big heart.

This year’s JCon was hosted by my friend, Linda Taglieri, a renowned Wheel of Time scholar from The Thirteenth Depository, and it had the added honour of being the site of this year’s DeepSouthCon (those guys, they’ve been around the block a time or two, and let me tell you: they know how to have fun!). The Author Guest of Honour was Catharine Asaro, the Artist Guest of Honour was John Picacio, and the shenanigans and revelry were bigger, better, and more shenanigan-y than ever.

No, seriously. We’re going to have to come up with some crazy shit to top this year’s tom foolery--that’s the real reason why JCon is only once a year: it takes us a whole year to come up with an idea that tops the previous year.

(Wait, er, I mean… I’m not up to anything. Except maybe liver failure.)

The highlights from JordanCon8 were many, thus I present a sampling, featured in no particular order and likely even less sense:

  • Thursday evening Directors’ Dinner: before the crazy of con truly begins the Directors and guests enjoy a meal together, and as a newly appointed assistant director, this was the first year I attended. However, there had to be at least one tradition to kick off the weekend, and apparently it was the one where I say something mortifyingly inappropriate in front of respectable author Brandon Sanderson. I blame the wine. And Paul Bielaczyc. (Damn you both for making me memorable! *sigh*) 

  • Performing in the Opening Ceremonies as Sith Elaida: yes, my hack acting skills were on display in full getup as a Wheel of Time/Star Wars mashup character Sith Elaida (Elaida Jedai? Either way--she’s too obtuse to realize she’s channeling the Dark Side, haha!). So much fun, and myself, along with April Moore as Jedi Cadsuane, and Brit Lewis as Jedi Moiraine, and Linda Taglieri as toastmaster absolutely rocked those Opening Ceremonies! (I wish I had pics, or even better, video!)

  • The JordanCon Art Show, in all its glory! It’s no secret that I’m biased: having worked quietly as April Moore’s second for years now, I now carry the title of Assistant Director for the Art Show. 2016 marked the fifth annual JordanCon Art Show, and it was our most successful yet. Our talented artists and dedicated team of volunteers outdid themselves again. Our exhibits were dazzling, our sales were up by about 30%, and no one lost their mind (or voice!).

  • The Friday evening meal tradition of the Tor.com Rereaders’ Dinner: in the past we’ve all negotiated our way to a restuarant, but this year Ross Newberry went to the trouble of having our annual meal catered at the hotel instead of on the road. (It was excellent, and methinks we need to continue it in the future.) And we had Rereaders join us who had never hit up JordanCon before! (ALICE!) Big hugs all around!

  • Sharing JordanCon yet again with my cousin Mandy: as much as it saddened me to sit out of the costume contest this year (a girl only has so much disposable time), I had the privilege to watch her place 2nd in the costume contest (Canadians represent!). And I helped with her Myrddraal makeup: this means I’ve placed 5 years in a row now, right? Right?

    Clockwise top left: silliness in the elevator; with Jason Denzel; the Myrddraal places second; the Hive Mind lives (April Moore and Lannis).
  • The Writer’s Workshop, and receiving praise from Catharine Asaro on my writing. “An economy of words,” eh? I’m tickled! 

  • Hanging out with my BFF, Jason Denzel, in person instead of online for a change, and watching his eyes roll every single time I declared pretentiously that Pomella, the protagonist of his novel, Mystic, was based on me (of COURSE she wasn’t). He later set me up in front of Harriet McDougal (Robert Jordan’s widow) and Brandon Sanderson (big wig author). Knowing I would preen on cue and state the dreaded line, “Pomella was based on me,” Jason turned my teasing around with a snort and the burn, “Only the bratty parts!” Oh, Jason! Payback’s a bitch, sir! Just wait! Haha! oxo

  • Seeing old friends, naturally, but also seeing newbies enjoy their first JCon (Kalen! Ebony! Drew! Alice! And many more!) Honestly, I love expanding our Con family, and watching you enjoy JordanCon for the first time gives me all kinds of warm fuzzies! (Come back next year: the second time around is even better, trust!)

    Costumes from the contest and more!


  • Speed Friending: after years of singing its praises and wanting to attend yet having conflicts, I finally made it to the Speed Friending panel! It was far louder than I’d anticipated but oh so much fun! I highly recommend it, and plan on hitting it up again next year!

  • Downing maple flavoured Crown Royal Rye shots with Jason Denzel and Richard Fife at the bar, and--over the weekend--teaching not one but two bartenders how to make lovely layered B52 shooters. Ah, yes, boys, stick with me, and I’ll show you all the fun drinks! Ha!
     
  • Catching tWoTcast live, playing “Who Said tWhat?” and laughing so hard I cried as they read smutty passages from books by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, and (previous JordanCon Author Guest of Honour) Patrick Rothfuss; while at the same time I was helping Chip Moore (JordanCon’s official bartender) serve the audience with his portable bar (dude means business!).

  • Getting Maria Simons (of Team Jordan) and Jennifer Liang (the JordanCon Con Chair) to throw panties at our friend Ross during the costume contest--his was a Wheel of Time mashup costume: a gleeman/Elvis named Al’vis, hence someone needed to make sure panties were thrown his way. (12-year-old me is simultaneously thrilled that I have this sort of rapport with these ladies, and absolutely mortified that I insist on sullying our reputation, haha)

  •  Hanging out with our fantastic artists at the Art Show, including the talented likes of Edsel Arnold, Charles Urbach, and Amy Romanczuk. And then purchasing a Melissa Gay original--oh yes, Crystal Run is mine! Muahahaha! 

    Crystal Run by Melissa Gay; 8 x 10, acrylic on canvas.
  • Being accused of being the head of the Black Ajah--a flattering accusation (oh, that I might be so devious as to devise what is clearly a very very good trick!)--and yet completely baffled by what is going on and wondering why am I not cool enough to get a Black Ajah ribbon?! (Seriously, peeps--if you know the lowdown on this one, drop me a line, I'm intent on unraveling this puzzle. info[at]lannis.ca).

  • And the cream of the shenanigan crop: the Leigh Butler masks. Leigh is a past Toastmaster and the head of the Tor.com Wheel of Time Reread (and all around amazing chick), and was unable to attend this year’s JordanCon. Well, that wouldn’t do… so you know we Rereaders had to fill the hole in our hearts the best we knew how--by making not one, but, uh, maybe a dozen Leigh-on-a-stick masks so we could enjoy her as if she were with us. And of course such a stunt isn’t complete unless we unleashed it far and wide throughout the con, getting pics with everyone we could think of--and then I obnoxiously went onto Facebook as the pics were cropping up and pretended Leigh was avoiding me all weekend (because alcohol makes everything more believable). We love you, Leigh! Oxo 


    Fun with Leigh-on-a-Stick!
  • The Team Jordan signing: where thanks to volunteering I was able to jump the (rather long) line, and had Harriet sign my copy of The Wheel of Time Companion, “To Lannis, a scholar and a Trolloc,” and then had Alan Romanczuk tease me--because the tradition of embarrassing shit happening in front of Harriet clearly must continue. Then he asked me how I was going to top JordanCon 2016's shenanigans next year and I made it clear his wifey would be helping me--haha! Poor, Alan!

  • And so many more fun times: the costumes! The dance party! Karaoke! The gaming hall! Two proposals! Silliness in the elevator! Chatting with new people in the ConSuite! MORE!

    Every year I say that JordanCon is like a family reunion, but that’s because it bears repeating: this con is my tribe, and I’m oh so honoured to be a part of it and watch it grow--and grow it has! This year was record-breaking for attendance at 701 people attending the convention, and it really is the little convention with the big heart.

    #IsItAprilYet?